Origin
Bloomington, MN
Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
8:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, MN to Minnetonka, MN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
15.6 mi
25 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Minnetonka, MN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between Bloomington and Minnetonka, this 15.6-mile trip is an incredibly efficient way to cross the region. Expect to spend about 21 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. You will rely heavily on major arteries like I-494, I-35W, and Minnesota State Highway 7 to complete the connection. With a fuel cost of only $2, this trip is as budget-friendly as it is convenient. Because the entire route stays within the Midwest, you will experience a familiar, consistent driving environment from start to finish. It is a straightforward, practical commute that requires no overnight stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 494 | 10.5 mi | 13m |
| Minnesota State Highway 7 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| I 35W | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| County Road 101 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 90th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 494
— 10.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, MN and Minnetonka, MN.
1
Start on West 90th Street
163 ft
·
10 sec
·
West 90th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 35W North
3
Merge onto I 35W
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 35W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
6
Merge onto I 494; MN 5
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 494; MN 5
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto MN 7
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Minnesota State Highway 7
10
Turn left onto CR 101
239 ft
·
10 sec
·
County Road 101
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
CR 101
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 35W North
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 35W North
8
1.1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 8B-C
Toward I 494 East, MN 5 East
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 494 West, MN 5 West
6
8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 494; MN 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 494; MN 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
12.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward MN 7 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 16B
Toward MN 7 West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.32 one way
$4.64 round trip
$3.78/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.07 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| premium | $4.53 | $2.78 | $5.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Minnetonka, MN
Morning in Minnetonka on Tuesday
Local time
8:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
21m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 90% of your travel taking place on high-speed roads. You will settle into a steady rhythm quickly, especially during the 10.5-mile stretch on I-494, which serves as the backbone of your trip. While the route feels like a standard interstate experience, the transition onto Highway 7 helps you navigate toward your destination efficiently. You won't encounter technical mountain passes or winding backroads here; instead, focus on maintaining your pace through the heavy highway segments. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive designed to get you from point A to point B with minimal complexity.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.5 mi on I 494.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 494 and Minnesota State Highway 7. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 15.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Bloomington, MN
Full guide →Founded 1843
Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021). Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.
Top landmarks
- • Nickelodeon Universe — amusement park inside Mall of America
- • SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge — amusement ride
- • SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 15.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.5 miles on I 494. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Minnetonka, MN before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Minnetonka, MN before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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